Arc Trainer
A cardio machine whose foot pads travel on an arc instead of an oval, with an incline that shifts the movement from a skiing stride to a climbing one.
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings, Calves
- Logged as
- Session: time, plus what the machine shows, such as distance and calories
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Why do it
The arc trainer looks like an elliptical but moves your feet on an arc, and there's no impact because your feet never leave the pads. Its incline changes the workout more than the level does: a low setting feels like a long gliding stride, a high one like climbing stairs, with more work for your glutes. It's a good choice when running doesn't suit your joints, and logging level and incline together tells you what actually got harder.
How to do it
Step onto the foot pads holding the handles and start moving; the pads travel on an arc rather than an oval.
Set the incline for the movement you want: low feels like cross-country skiing, high like climbing stairs.
Push through your whole foot and keep your upper body upright, holding the moving handles lightly or the fixed bars for balance.
Lower the level for the last minutes. Log level and incline as they change and copy distance, strides and watts from the display at the end.
Common mistakes
Leaning on the handles
Hanging your weight on the bars takes load off your legs. Hold them lightly and keep your upper body upright.
Pushing only through the toes
Toe pressure shifts the work onto your calves and can make your feet go numb. Push through your whole foot.
Only ever changing the level
Incline changes which muscles work hardest. Try a few settings and log both, so you can compare sessions fairly.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
